Seaming and soldering machine for metal can bodies



Oct. 27, 1936.: L. D. TITUS' SEAMING :AND SOLDERING MACHINE FOR METAL. CAN BODIES Filed May 18-, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet l LEO/V 0. 77705 INVENTOR 1675 A TTORNEV L. D. TITUS Oct. 27, 1936.

SEAMING AND SOLDERING MACHINE FOR METAL CAN BODIES Filed May 18, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 AfO/V 0" 7777/5 /-//5 A TTORNEV L. D. TITUS Uct. 27, W36.

SEAMING AND SOLDERING MACHINE FOR METAL CAN BODIES Filed May 18, 1933 6 Sheets- Sheet 7 3 llv VEN TOR USO/V 0. 77 706 Ud. 7, R936. D TITUS I 2,@59,U6fl

SEAM ING AND SOLDERING' MACHINE FOR METAL CAN BODIES Filed May 18, 1953 6 SheetsSheec 4 J66 J61 J68 450M). 7/705 INVENTOR WJA) HA5 A TTORNE 1 Oct. 27, 1936.. I s 2,059JUR SEAMING AND SQLDERING MACHINE FOR METAL CAN BODIES Filed May 18, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 L yN V EWR Ms A TZQRNE y Um. m, 1936.. mwmm SEAMING AND SOLDERING MACHINE FQR METAL CAN BODIES D. TITUS Filed May 18, 1955 6 sheets-sheey e LEO/V 0. 7771/5 11v VENTQIR BY M5 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAMIING AND SOLDERING MACHINE FOR METAL CAN BODIES of Delaware Application May 18, 1933, Serial No. 671,621 9Claims. (01. 113-9) This invention relates to a machine for forming cans, the machine being particularly adapted to the formation of large rectangular or circular can bodies formed in two sections having upper 5 and lower flanged and interlocked edges, the

edges of which are brought into interlocked position, stamped into a tight seam, fluxed and soldered so that the can body is completely formed and sealed.

10 The above and other objects will appear more fully from the following description when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the can body 15 stamping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 1 on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view 20 illgstrating the expander actuating cams and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the stamping or bumping press and eccentric actuator.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the solder- 25 ing apparatus showing its relation to the discharge devices on the forming machine.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal view thereof, taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line |--'l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged detailed views, parts being broken away, illustrating the solder 35 applying and seam sweating steels for the lower and upper seams, respectively, of the can.

Figs. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D are diagrammatic views illustrating the series of steps which occur during the formation of the can body in the 40 forming machine.

The machine disclosed herein is designed to form a can body from two body parts, and in the present disclosure each of the body parts is angularly formed so that in the finished can the body 45 will be of square cross-section (see Fig. 110). It has been found easier to form cans of two parts in this manner than from one continuous piece of sheet metal, but heretofore proposals for automatically and simultaneously stamping the two 50 parts of the cans together and soldering the upper and lower seams have not been successful.

Referring first to the forming machine, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the main drive shaft I2 is driven through the fly wheel 14 clutched to or 55 unclutched from the shaft l2 by means of the jaw clutch l6 actuated in the usual manner through the clutch collar and yolk shown, controlled from the handle 18. The machine is designed to receive two half can bodies, each of which is formed with flanged edges adapted to 5 be interlocked or hooked together and placed upon the support 20 formed as a longitudinal bar extending through the machine. This condition of the body parts of the can is illustrated in Fig. 11A. The lower free edges of the two body 10 parts may rest against plates 22 and 22A while in the first or idle station of the machine. Carrier bars 24 and 26, shown in their advanced position in Fig. 2, are reciprocated by means of disk 80 rotatable with shaft l2. Motion is transmitted from pin 28 on disk 80 through link 30, lever arms 3! and 32, rigidly mounted on rock shaft 34, and link 36 to plates 38, bolted to the upper and lower reciprocating bars 24 and 26. Pivoted carrier dogs 40A and 46 mounted on the upper and lower bars 24 and 26, serve to advance the body parts from the feeding station, shown at the far left in Fig. 2, into the idle station and then into the forming and stamping station and then into the outer or discharge station, the movement being step by step to permit the forming devices to perform their functions, as described below. The rearward advancing lugs 40A are required only upon the upper advancing bars 24. These lugs are formed with tips positioned to engage the can bodies which are in extended or open position, as shown in Fig. 1, when contacted by lugs 40A.

As the blanks pass into the forming station with their upper edges hooked together, the lower edges of the body blanks pass beyond the plates 22 and 22A and fall inwardly against the expander bars 42 and 43. In this position the blanks will have moved rearwardly past the forward gauging or spacing plates 44 and 46 which align the ends of the two sheets and prevent the blanks from being moved forwardly beyond these plates as the carrier bars move to the left, as seen in Fig.

2, in preparing for a subsequent operation. The advance edges of the blanks are positioned by 4.5 means of upper and lower gauges 41 and 48. Gauge 41 is pivoted at 41A and is normally held in the position shown by means of spring 4113. Gauge 48 is mounted on shaft 48A and is normally held in the position shown by means of 50 springs 483. The gauges 41 and 48 are displaced on the further movement of the formed can body during a subsequent operation of the advancing bars.

After the blanks have passed into the seaming station in front of the spacing plates 44 and 46, the body blanks are moved into their final or operative position, shown in Fig. 113, by means of wings or clamping arms 50 and 52. These wings are formed of two or more angular members connected by longitudinal reenforcing strips, the angular members being shaped to conform to the particular shape of can body being constructed. The wings are connected for simultaneous operation by means of cam 54, cam follower and slide 56, connecting link 58, pivoted rocking lever and connecting links BI and 62. The links SI and 62 connect respectively to levers 5| and 53, formed on the wings 50 and 52. The links BI and 82 are made adjustable in length and are slightly compressible so that wing 50 may be moved to its closed position slightly in advance of the other and thus provide for proper hooking of the lower edges of the sheets. The adjustment in length may be accommodated by means of the adjustable connections BIA, BIB, 62A and 623, as shown. The links are formed of telescoping sections normally held in their extended positions by springs 63, the extension of the links being limited by the pin and slot arrangements shown (Figs. 1 and 2). It will be understood that the wing which is associated with the inside of the overlapped seam of the can body will be the one which first reaches its final inner position and that the other wing will then move inwardly to its final position and hook the flanged edge of the outer body member over the flange of the inner member.

The wings hold or clamp the body members in place until the expander bars 42 and 43 take up the slack and lock the body parts together, a condition illustrated in Fig. 110. The bars 42 and 43 are elongated members mounted in suitable slides in a central block 64, the bars 42 and 43 being controlled by the four push rods 65 and 66, the inner ends of which are placed in engagement with cam surfaces 68A and 683 formed on the operating bar 68. The bar 68 is normally retained in its inoperative position by means of the spring 69, the bar being moved against the tension of said spring by means of a push rod I0 and walking lever I2, the latter being controlled by a face cam I4 which coacts with a suitable roller or other bearing member on the lower end of the walking lever I2.

After the can body parts are expanded and while the wings are being opened, the upper and lower hammers l6 and I8 are operated to compress the overlapped flanged edges and form the seams, this operation pressing the overlapped hooked ends into a locked seam spline on the stationary members of the dies. The can body following this operation is illustrated in Fig. 11D.

The lower hammer I8, which coacts with die 18A, is mounted in a vertical slide formed of the vertical members 19, the hammers being operated through the eccentric 8I and a strap and connecting rod assembly 82 having the usual adjustment for length. The upper hammer I6 is carried by arm 84 pivoted at 85 to the framework and connected to an operating link 86 through a universal joint 81. The link 86 is actuated through an eccentric 88. The link is constructed to permit compression thereof during upward movement of the eccentric, this operation moving the sleeve 89B upwardly with relation to inner rod 86A which is free to move in the enlarged opening 86D in the sleeve. This movement compresses the spring 89, as illustrated in Fig. 1. On downward movement of the ecoentric the head 86C of the rod 86A is picked up by the sleeve 86B at the upper end of the enlarged opening 86D, thus moving the overhead lever 84 downwardly for operating the hammer IS. The purpose of forming the link 86, as illustrated, is to permit only a limited upward movement of the lever 64 controlled, for example, by means of the set bolt 90, for affording only a limited clearance between the hammer I6 and the coacting stationary die 9|. In this way, when the upper edges of the flanged body parts are hooked together and carried under the hammer I6, the limited clearance prevents them from being separated again during movement of the can parts through actuation of the carrier bars 24 and 26 or when the expander bars 42 and. 43 are actuated.

The can bodies, after they have been hooked together and clinched in position, are advanced from the forming station into the idle station, shown at the right in Fig. 2, one or more idle stations and corresponding advancing lugs 40 being provided, depending upon the distance between the forming machine and the soldering apparatus described below.

The cans are picked up from the last idle station of the forming machine by a continuously moving feed device for carrying the cans by a continuous movement through a seam soldering device. In order to have the two advancing mechanisms synchronized, the drive for the can advancing mechanism of the soldering device is taken from the fly wheel I4 by means of a chain 94 which drives an intermediate shaft 96 connected by bevelled gearing 97 with a longitudinal shaft 98 extending along the frame of the soldering apparatus. At the rearward end of the shaft 98 there is provided an additional bevelled gear 99 which meshes with a coacting gear I00 mounted on a transverse shaft IN. The latter carries at its ends two similar bevelled gears I02 and I93 which mesh with gears I04 and I05 mounted on short vertical shafts I06. Shafts I06 carry sprocket gears I01 (removed from Fig. 6) for driving the can feeding chains I08 and I 89. The chains I08 and I09 pass around corresponding idlers IIO, III and H2 and are supported for the main portion of their lengths by means of angle bars H4 and H6, the latter supporting the chains in their operative positions while advancing the can bodies. The chains I08 and I89 are provided with the usual engagement projections II8, one pair of which engages behind each can for moving the same through the soldering apparatus while supported on the inside solder horse I I1, supported at one end on the central portion of the framework of the forming mechanism and at the other (rearward) end by means of roller I98 referred to below.

The can body has upper and lower seams corresponding to the positions of the upper and lower hammers in the forming mechanism. The lower seam is supported and advanced into position to be engaged by the chains I 08 and I09 by means of a driven rubber roll I20 and idle roll I2I and is fiuxed by a fibre brush I22 which is driven against a can. The drive for the roll I20 is taken from the transverse shaft 96 by means of belt I24. The brush I22 is driven from the shaft of roll I20 through the crossed belt I25 and suitable pulleys. The fluxing rolls are preferably mounted in a housing I I 9 with the exterior surfaces only of the rolls exposed so as to prevent unnecessary wastage of the flux into the atmosphere. The upper seam is fluxed by a felt roll I26 which receives the flux from a large sight feed cup I 26A.

As the can bodies are advanced into the machine, they are preheated by means of the upper and lower burners I28 and I29, each consisting of a number of small burners for gradually heating the can body adjacent the seams to a proper temperature for receiving the solder. The burners are supplied with gas by means of the pipes 126A and 129A and valves I29B as shown.

The top seam soldering device is supported on a frame angle I36 attached to the main overhead frame I32 and pivotally connected, as indicated at I33, to the box I34 which carries the soldering steels I35. There are preferably provided a number of soldering steels I35 rather than one continuous steel as it has been found that this construction more effectively supplies anddis tributes the solder on the cans and sweats the solder into the seams. Solder is applied to the first steel I55 by means of rolls I36 and I31 which feed the solder into curved tubes I39, I39A for guiding the solder wire or wires from the feed rolls to the side of the first steel I35. The feed rolls are operated intermittently and may be actuated by means of a cam and ratchet mecha nism 114A comprising an operating link 115A, latch 112A and toothed wheel I11A. Link I15A is actuated by lever I15 referred to below.

Gas for heating the soldering steels is supplied throughout the length of the box I35 by means of the gas pipes and manifolds I36, the gas pipes and manifolds being supported on brackets I56 attached to the box I54. Gas is supplied to the pipes through a flexible connection I38A so that the entire system of pipes can be removed when the box is hinged about its pivot I33 whenever it is necessary to reflux or retin the soldering steels. One or more adjustable stop pins I52 are provided for positioning the steels I55 in proper position with. respect to the upper seam of the can body, illustrated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 7. The pins I52 prevent the box I36 and the steels carried thereby from moving downwardly to an extreme degree but permit upward movement of the soldering steels, box I35, etc., when moved by the can body. I

The lower seam is also preferably soldered on the outside and to this end the first soldering steel Hi l is provided with a recess I46 extending for a substantialportion of the length of the steel, the recess I55 being approximately of an inch wide or slightly less, through which molten solder is fed to the bottom seam of the can. The additional steels I55 are provided to convey heat to the solder which the seam has taken from the slot 155 and thereby cause the solder to fiow inside the locked seam or, in other words, to sweat the seam. Steels I55 and I48 are held in alignment and in contact with the seam by means of the curved arms I56 which are pivoted on shaft I52 carried by the box I56, the arms I56 being held in their adjusted position by means of set bolts I56 mounted on the curved arms I56 and which bear against the inverted box I56. The arms I56 are normally maintained in the position shown, to the limit permitted by the adjustment of the set screws I55 by means of springs I55, these springs permitting downward movement of the steels I44 and M6 under the influence of the can body being soldered. The gas burners are supplied with gas through the piping I58 and Valves as shown. The fire box I55, similarly to the box I35, conserves the heat and also prevents the heat of the gas flame from striking the sides of the can and destroying the paint on lithographed cans. The entire assembly of the inverted box I56, steels I54 and I48, etc., is mounted on a set of parallel levers I66 pivotally supported at I62 on the angle bars I53 by means of bearings I 54. The upper levers I66 are connected at I66 to the boxes I56, the lower levers I6I being connected together by a link I68. Movement of the link I66 to the left, for example, permits the box I56 and supported soldering steels to be dropped sufficiently so that they are accessible for being refluxed and retinned.

Solder is supplied to the recess I55 through the bent tube I10, welded against the side of the steel I44 and communicating with the recess I 16 so that the interior of the tube I and of the recess I46 form a reservoir for molten solder. Solder is fed into the tube I16 by means of the pair of coacting rollers I 13, the lower roller being driven by a pawl and ratchet device I14 driven through the link I15, latch I12, ratchet wheel I11 and lever I16, the latter being actuated by a cam I18 mounted on the longitudinal shaft 68. Lever I16 has a roller bearing engageable with the outer surface of the cam I and an adjustable connection with the link I15 for varying the amount of solder introduced. Strip solder fed inwardly between the rollers I12 and I13 is guided through the curved tube I86 into the heated supply tube I16 so that as the solder contacts with the wall of the tube I16 or with the solder therein it is melted and forms a part of the molten body in the reservoir.

As the can progresses beyond the soldering and sweating steels, the seams are brought into position to be wiped by the two cloth wheels I82 and I84 which wipe the seams immediately after soldering operation and while the solder is hot. The upper wheel I82 is driven from a countershaft by means of belts I86 and 181, the lower wheel I84 being similarly driven from the overhead countershaft by belts I89 and I96.

There is provided a transverse shaft I92, supported in bearings I93 and driven from the rearward transverse shaft Ifil by sprockets I94 and I95 and a chain (not shown) encircling the same. The shaft I92 carries a horse support roll I96 coacting with a roll I913 built in the soldering horse and shaped to conform to the can body and lower roll M6, the roll I93 supporting the rearward end of the soldering horse, the forward end of which is supported adjacent the point of discharge from the body forming apparatus.

The operation of the above described apparatus will be clear from the above description. It is merely necessary to hook together the two body parts of which the can is to be formed at the idle station in front of the body forming machine. Thereafter the can blanks are carried in, step by step, first into the clinching or stamping station where the flanged edges are hooked together and the seam stamped in the formation of the rigid can body. The can is then automatically removed and placed in position to be picked up by the continuously moving chain driven from the main drive shaft of the forming machine so that the forming and soldering devices will be properly coordinated. During the passage of the can through the soldering apparatus the upper and lower seams are fiuxed, soldered, sweated and brushed and finally discharged as finished can bodies ready for the addition of the remaining can parts, such as the bottom and top caps, supplied by other machinery not described herein.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are contained in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a can making machine for forming a can body from two body sections having cooperative flanged edges, one pair of which is preliminarily interlocked, a forming support, movable clamping arms for moving said sections into cooperative relation on said support with said flanged edges interlocked, one of said arms moving inwardly before the other to cause the flanges on said sections to interlock uniformly and means for clinching the interlocked edges of said body sections.

2. In a can making machine for forming a square can body from two angular body sections having cooperative flanged edges, one pair of which is preliminarily interlocked, a forming support, means for clamping said sections against said support with said flanges interlocked, means movable to and from position to engage within the angular bend in said sections for spreading the same for maintaining said edges interlocked, and means for clinching said interlocked flanged edges.

3. In a can making apparatus, a soldering device for applying solder to the under surface of a can seam, said device including a solder applying steel having a recess opening upwardly in position to be contacted by said can body, said recesses being of restricted width for preventing said can body from entering the same, a tube for supplying solder to said recess, said tube and recess constituting the entire reservoir for molten solder, means for heating said iron and tube and means for supplying solder to said tube.

l. In a can making apparatus, a soldering device for applying solder to the under surface of a can seam, said device including a solder applying steel having a recess of restricted width opening upwardly in position to be contacted by said can body, means for supplying solder to said recess, a plurality of heated steels adjacent said first named steel for sweating said solder into said seam and means for conveying a can body along said steels and through said soldering device.

5. In a can making apparatus, a soldering device for applying solder to the under surface of a can seam, said device including a solder applying steel having a recess of restricted width opening upwardly in position to be contacted by said can body, means for supplying solder to said recess, a plurality of heated steels adjacent said first named steel for sweating said solder into said seam, means for conveying a can body along said steels and through said soldering device and means for moving said soldering steels away from their normal operating position for repairing the same.

6. In a can making machine, a can support for receiving two can body parts having flanged edges, two of which are interlocked, a seam stamping station, reciprocating pushers for advancing said body parts into said stamping station, means for bringing said body parts into their final position with the edges thereof interlocked, means for stamping the interlocked edges into locked seams, means for removing said can body from said stamping station, a soldering device, means for advancing said can body uniformly into and through said soldering device, said soldering device including a fluxing mechanism, solder applying device, seam sweating steels and seam wiping element, operating simultaneously on both seams.

'7. In a can making machine, a can support for receiving two can body parts having flanged edges, two of which are interlocked, a seam stamping station, reciprocating pushers for advancing said body parts into said stamping station, means for bringing said body parts into their final position with the edges thereof interlocked, means for stamping the interlocked edges into locked seams, means for removing said can body from said stamping station, opposed upper and lower soldering devices for simultaneously applying solder to the outer sides of both seams, means for advancing said can body uniformly into and through said soldering device with an upper and a lower seam on said can body, each of said upper and lower soldering devices including a fluxing mechanism, solder applying device, seam sweating steels and seam wiping element, operating successively on said seams.

8. In a can making machine, means for clinching opposed seams on can bodies formed from a plurality of body parts, means for conveying the clinched can bodies to a soldering apparatus and means for simultaneously soldering the exterior surface of the two opposed seams as said can bodies pass through said soldering apparatus.

9. In a can making machine for forming a can body from two body sections having cooperative flanged edges, one pair of which is preliminarily interlocked, a forming support, clamping arms positioned exteriorly of said sections, control means for moving said arms into cooperative relation on said support and coincidently interlocking the other pair of said flanged edges, means for expanding said sections, said control means thereafter operating to unclamp said arms and means for clinching said interlocked edges.

LEON D. TITUS. 

